March 2, 2017rhaugh2154

Lots of Questions About Mariani Project

Lots of Questions About Mariani Project

By Robert Haugh

On February 16, 2017, the Mariani Project had it’s scoping meeting. It’s a chance for city staff and consultants to gather public comments for the draft environmental impact report (EIR). There were about a dozen speakers who asked some very good questions. We list a lot of them below.

The most basic question is whether or not this project is on life support. On February 21, Prometheus decided to drop their Moonlite Lanes project because of serious neighborhood opposition. The Mariani project has way more neighborhood opposition at this stage of the project than Prometheus ever had in its early stages. A lot of the  same neighborhood groups and community leaders oppose both projects, so the chance of the Mariani project getting council support for a significant general plan amendment is really bad. The chambers will be packed with opponents. It will be like heading into a steel cage bout against the n.W.o alone.

Editor’s Note: We’ve asked Lou Mariani to write an opinion piece for his project. He hasn’t responded yet. We’ve also asked him to confirm that Santa Clara Weekly Publisher Miles Barber is lobbying for his project. Neither he, nor Miles have responded.

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Questions from February 16 Scoping Meeting

General Development

  • Is it legal or appropriate for the two parcels divided by Buchanan Drive to be considered as one parcel for development?
  • Is it appropriate to consider this one project, when each parcel will have a different type of development  (housing, hotel)?
  • How will the city make sure that the hotel will be built, rather than a part of a bait-and-switch plan to add more housing on both parcels?
  • Where is there a 5-story structure in the area that justifies 5-stories in this development?

Housing

  • Will the units promised for senior housing be realized, or is it a head fake by the developer?
  • The developer told the residents that he plans to put housing on both parcels, rather than build a new hotel later. So, how does the city hold the developer accountable to keep that promise?
  • What will be the housing impact on the school population?

Traffic and Parking

  • Why is traffic being dumped into neighborhoods, when other El Camino developments protect neighborhoods?
  • Is it there any good reason to reduce 1.5 parking spaces per unit to 1.3 parking spaces per unit?
  • Will Buchanan Drive remain a city street?

Staff

  • Why is the plan information so hard to download?  Apparently, it’s in a format on the city website that’s not user friendly.
  • Why were plans not available at the meeting for the public to review?
  • Why is city staff spending time reviewing this development if it’s not viable?
  • Why was meeting held at 4 p.m. when most people have to work?

Misc

  • In a previous general plan document, this area was listed as being in a flood hazard plain, but why isn’t it now?

3 comments

  3. Robert, very well written. You have captured the essence of the objections. Something has to be built there but to ask for more than twice the allowed density and with the traffic pattern proposed is criminal.

    The negative effect it would have on the neighborhood is major. The traffic alone can be seen on a 3 min. YouTube video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btx8aR99Xek . Or just go to YouTube and search for ‘Mariani Madness’. Somehow fitting.

    This travesty cannot be allowed.

    A neighborhood friendly complex within the general plan or a new hotel in the same spirit would be more in keeping with the relationship the neighborhood has had with the Mariani Family for many decades.

    Reply

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